JanDunlap.com

Last month was a great kickoff for the release of my second Birder Murder, titled “Murder on Warbler Weekend.” The Launch party at Once Upon a Crime was a blast, and the next day I was at the reception for the Hawk Ridge celebration in Duluth, MN, where I met birders from across the upper Midwest. I spent the following morning at Hawk Ridge, watching migrants and people! When one of the naturalists walked by me with a bird tail sticking out of the bottom of an orange juice can, I had to stop him and ask about it. Guess what was in the can? A merlin! The naturalists catch birds for banding at the Ridge, and to keep the birds calm, they slide them into empty cans, which not ...more...

Great news! The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is going to be carrying my Birder Murders! I’ve been trying to place “The Boreal Owl Murder” in the gift shop there for the last year, and now it’s a done deal, complete with some book signings for both “Boreal Owl” and my newest, “Murder on Warbler Weekend,” scheduled for the busy holiday shopping season. The Arb has visitors from all over the country (not to mention the world), so I thought it would be a great spot for some high visibility, not to mention all the birdwatchers that frequent the extensive grounds there. Another new spot I’ve landed is on the internet – my books are currently featured on a new website called Reading Minnesota that celebrates Minnesota books. Check it out at ...more...

I just realized I didn’t post any blog for July! My excuse is that I was wrapped up with Birder Murder books – finishing the first draft of the third book in the series and beginning the marketing for the second book, “Murder on Warbler Weekend,” which debuts September 1. If you take a look at my events column, you’ll see some of the fruit of my work: I’ve got some big book events coming up this fall. Marketing, I’ve discovered in the past year, is one of the biggest tasks for a new author. It takes a lot of phone and email time, patience and perseverance. The payoff, though, is well worth it, since it ultimately connects me with you, my readers. I hope to see many of you ...more...